Kolkata: The Central government is interested in being a part of the Tajpur Project but there has been no response from the state government which had earlier moved out of the talks, said Santanu Thakur, Union Minister of State (MoS) for Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
During a press conference in Kolkata, questions were pitched to Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and Santanu Thakur, the MoS of this ministry. Thakur said: ‘The Central government had sent a proposal to the state government that the Tajpur Port project be given to the Centre so it can be properly used to clock good revenues but the state government has not sent us any response on the matter. We don’t have any idea what is the future of the Tajpur Port.’
An official said that initially the state government was in talks with the Centre which was supposed to be a stakeholder in the Tajpur Port project but the state moved out eventually and tried to give the project to a private company which has not materialised till now.
In 2023 Bengal Global Business Summit, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had given a fresh call for tenders for the Rs 25000 crore Tajpur deep sea port project which had sparked speculations among the Opposition parties that the Adani Group which had received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from the state government earlier for the project may have backed out. However, Bengal’s cabinet minister for industry, Shashi Panja claimed that the state government is still in talks with the business group concerned regarding the project.
Panja had alleged that the Opposition had made misleading claims about the project and did not understand what it takes to get clearance for such a vital development. She said that the project will be completed and that the state is still in touch with the Adani Group for the same.